Yieldable shoe or cushion



Aug. 30, 1932, A c, FULTON 1,874,955

- YIELDABLE SHOE 0R cusxqon Filed Nov. 25.19.31

Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT] OFFICE ALFRED c. FULTON, or ASHTABULA, OHIO, assrenon 'ro THE AE'L NA RUBBER coil- PANY;

This invention relates to a yieldable shoe or cushion for the lower ends of the legs of refrigerators, cabinets, shoe fixtures, and furniture generally. p One of the objects of theinvention is to provide an improved shoe or cushion for this purpose andparticularly one which is adjustable to varying radii at the front or outer corners of legs of general triangular shape, and [0 which is also formed so as to more readily adapt itself to irregular contours of the floors.

' In carrying out my invention, I employ a shoe or cushionwith a base portion which is adapted to be engaged by the bottom of the leg of the piece of furniture or cabinet or other article which is to be supported and also has an upstanding flange which is adapted to embrace the lower part of the foot and generally to conform to the shape thereof. the

base being split or cloven so as to divide it into two portions held together by the flange portion of the shoe. This enables the two parts of the bottom or baseof the shoe to be moved relatively so that the flange portion can be caused to adapt itself to a wide range of shapesin the contour of the lower end of the legs and also to more readily adjust itself to irregularities in the floor on which the foot rests. 7

Further features of the invention reside in the particular shape of the slot or opening which is formed in the base, this slot being preferably substantially T-shaped, with the slot extending from the apex across the middle of the base to the rear side of the latter and with the cross portion of the slot next to the flange so as to leave a sufiicient length of the relatively thin and flexible flange free from the base so that it can be flexed to cause the shoe to adapt itself to varying radii at the lower ends of the leg which is to rest on the shoe.

The invention maybe further briefly summarized as consisting in an article of the character described having certain novel features YIELDAIBLE SHOE OR CUSHION Application filed November 23, 1931.

OF ASETABULA, OHIO; A CORPORATION OF OHIO Serial No. 576,767.

of construction which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims. 7 I

In the accompanying sheet of drawing which illustrates an embodiment of the inm vention, f V

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a side view; i

Fig. 3 is a central sectional View taken lengthwise of the slot between the halves of 5 thebase;

Fig. 4 is a bottom view; and

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are bottom views showing how the device may be manipulated by flexing the flange at the front portion of the device to fit the lower ends oflegs of different sizes. I

Referring now to the drawing wherein have illustrated the preferred form ofthe in-i vention, the yieldable shoe or cushion is pref- 5 erably formed of what is generally known as soft rubber composition so that it will have a certain degree of yieldability or elas ticity but still suflicient stiflness to form a suitable support'for the leg of the ref'rigera- 7o tor, fixture, or piece of furniture, which at times may have considerable weight. The article may have any suitable color and the outside wall of-the flange which constitutes the front and sides of the device may have any desired ornamentation. 1 The shoe or cushion includes a base portion which is in two halves 10, 10 on which is adapted to rest th lower end of the leg of a the article being supported. it includes a flange portion 11 which extends from the lower surface of the base upwardly above the same, this flange being preferably tapered inwardly with respect to the plane of the lower surface of the shoe, so that .it 85 will better envelop and closely conform to the lower or foot portion of the leg of the article being supported. Likewise it will be observed that in general the shoe or cushion is of triangular shape, the two converging Additionally,

' of the front end of the sides of the flange being at substantially right angles to each other and the front or nose be ing preferably curved on the radius of a circle. It will be noted also that the side portions of the flange at their rear ends extend rearwardly somewhat beyond the base portion 10, 10 although I do not regard this as an essential feature of the invention. The flange is considerably thinner and therefore more flexible than the base portion.

As stated above, the baseis formed in two halves 10, 10 which are spaced a predetermined distance apart by a slot 12 which extends from the curved front or nose centrally ofthe base or bottom of the device to the rear side of the base. In this instance the sides of the slot 12 are parallel, but that is not essential to the invention.

It is desired that the: front or curved nose,

particularly the flange, have considerable flexibility and that the curved portion of the flange or the major portion of it be free of the base, and this is accomplished by suitably widening the slot 12 at or adjacent the flange. The slot may be widened more or less gradually if desired so that it will have a suitable width next to the flange, but in this instance the slot 12 is substantially T-shaped or provided just inside of the curved portion of the flange with a head or cross portion 12a. By thus slotting the base which receives and takes the weight of the leg and by widening the slot, as herein illustrated, by causing the slot to be T-shaped or otherwise widening'it next to the flange or at the curved forward portion of the device, a substantial part of the flange in the middle thereof is left detached from the base, making the device quite flexible and permitting a considerable portion of the flange to be flexed. Thismakes is possible not only to increase or decrease the angle of the sides of the flange, i. e., to cause the two halves of the flange to swing outwardly, in which event the side walls of v the slot 12 will be divergent toward therear,

or to swing inwardly so that the sides will be convergent toward the rear, but this construction enablesthetwo halves to be moved inwardly toward each other with the side walls of the slot maintaining their substantial parallelism, thus changing the radius device and enabling the'flange to conform to the lower part of the leg irrespective of the radius on which the front portion of the lower end of the leg may be curved. That is to say, this device, by reason of its adjustability, is adaptable for legs the front portions of which are curved on difl'erentradii. In fact, with the flexibility and adjustability of my improved shoe or cushion, the flange may be made to fit closely around the front of the lower part of the leg even thoug'i the sides of the leg may be formed on a sharp angle or may be curved on substantially no radius at all; i. e.', it will fit the lower ends of legs which have a wide I Another advantage of forming the shoe 7 or cushion in halves, as by the slot 12, is that irregularities of the floor on which it rests so as to have a solid and firm seat thereon.

It will be understood, of course, that the device may be made indifferent sizes, each adapted for a range of sizes of legs, but, by reason of the adjustability obtained by slotting the base, the full range of sizes as well as the fullrange of radii of curvature of'the front portions of the lower ends of the legs can be taken care of by aminimum number of sizes of the shoe or cushion.

While I have shown the preferred construction, changes may be made in various details, such as in the shape of the slot and in the proportions and shape of different parts of the slot and in the shape and proportions of other parts of the device. I therefore aimin my claims to cover all modifications which do not involve a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims. Having thus described my invention, I claim: p i

1. A shoe or cushion for the purpose described comprising a plurality of base portions adapted to support an article, and a flexible portion j oining said base portions.

2. A shoe or cushion adapted to receive the lower end of a leg of an article to be supported, comprising a base portion in two halves adapted to-support said leg, and a relatively flexible portion joining said halves.

3. A shoe or cushion adapted to receive and support the lower end of a leg of an article to be supported, having a base portion 'provided with a transverse slot forming said base portion into two halves, and a relatively thinportion joining said halves.

4'. A shoe or cushion for the purpose. described composed of a base adapted to support an article, and an upstanding flange joined to said base, said base having a transverse slot therein.

5. A shoe or cushion of the character described having abase formed in two-portions, and an upstanding flange yieldably joining said portions.

6. A yieldable shoe or cushion of the character described composed of a base comprising two parts, and a member joining said parts at the front of the device said parts being separated by a slot extending from said member and which is widened adjacent said member.

it enables the shoe to readily adapt itself to 7. A shoe or cushion of the character de- 7 which is widened at the front next to the flange. I

8. A shoe or cushion for the purpose described composed of a. base and an upstanding flange, the article being of generally triangular shape and the base having a slot which is substantially T-shaped with the cross portion of the slot next to the flange.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature. V ALFRED C. FULTON. 

